The first Italian Wine Weekend was held in New York City on
November 12-14, 2009. The event, loosely based on Daniel Johnnes’s La Paulée,
was held to benefit the Slow Food University of Gastronomic Sciences in
Pollenzo, Italy. As might be expected for any event in its first year, there
were some rough spots, but both dinners I attended at Del Posto were packed.
The charity auction raised almost $400,000 for the University, a great
achievement by any measure. I am particularly grateful to the generous bidders
who purchased the two dinner lots I was involved with. I hope the organizers,
participating restaurants and wineries will make Italian Wine Weekend an annual
tradition.

The first event on the calendar was an auction held by
Zachys featuring a mind-boggling array of wines from Italy and the world. The
atmosphere was positively electric as prices for Italy’s blue chip wines and
other collectibles were bid to prices I have never seen. In the middle of all
the excitement, my wife and I enjoyed one of the best meals we have ever had at
Del Posto. Sometimes simpler is better, and this menu of updated classics hit
many high notes. The pastas in particular were both superb and the lamb was
delicious. The wines were equally spectacular. Even though the main event, a
white truffle gala dinner, was held the following night, it was hard to beat
the sheer ambience and excitement in the room on this evening. I am amazed at
how seamless the service of the food was with all of the spirited bidding that
was going on in the dining room!

Krug’s 1976 Vintage
was compelling, rich and expansive, as it completely covered the palate with
textured fruit. Blessed with extraordinary inner perfume, the wine continued to
get better and better in the glass, with final notes of graphite and mint that
framed an eternal finish. The 1975 Dom
Perignon (magnum) was exuberant, seductive and fresh. This was a wonderful
bottle. The 1964 Krug Collection,
also from magnum, was incredibly refined, with delicate notes of caramel and
roasted nuts. In a word: breathtaking!

The 1971 Romanée St.
Vivant (Marey-Monge) from Domaine de
la Romanée-Conti opened with an extraordinary bouquet I got lost in. The
wine was equally brilliant on the palate, where delineated, perfumed fruit
worked its magic through to the sublime finish. The 1990 Dujac Clos St. Denis was quite a contrast, as it was obviously
much younger. A rich, concentrated wine, it covered the palate with masses of
dark fruit in a ripe, seamless style I found superbly pleasing. Rouget’s 1986 Echézeaux was powerful,
tannic and a touch lean, but the extraordinary bouquet compensated in large
measure. Domaine Leroy’s 1991 Romanée
St. Vivant was a bit more controversial as wild, animal aromas and flavors
vied with the impressively concentrated fruit for my attention. Despite the
wine’s sheer power, this remained a somewhat rustic Burgundy. The 1966 Palmer was a model of understated
elegance in its soft, perfumed fruit and wonderful sense of harmony.

Bruno Giacosa’s 1970
Barbaresco Montefico was simply magnificent. Rich, sensual and hedonistic –
a word I don’t use often – the wine offered compelling inner perfume, gorgeous
fruit and great overall balance. It was a great bottle from a mostly-forgotten
vintage. Ceretto’s 1974 Barolo Brunate
Zonchetta was incredible for its intense color and rich, powerful fruit.
This was a very strong showing for Ceretto’s entry-level Barolo. Both of these wines
from the 1970s are clear overachievers.

Aldo Conterno’s 1989
Barolo Riserva Granbussia is one of the greatest wines ever made in
Piedmont, and this was one of very finest examples I have ever tasted. An array
of red berries, roses, orange peel and spices emerged from this fresh, vibrant
and totally monumental Barolo. What a bottle! Gaja’s 1982 Barbaresco was surprisingly dense, powerful and
brooding but in such a sweet spot on this night. The 1982 Barbaresco Gallina from Bruno
Giacosa was also drinking beautifully, with tons of richness, depth and
class. The 1978 Barolo Riserva Collina
Rionda was without question the wine of the night. All conversation ceased
at the table as we stopped to admire this utterly profound, moving Barolo.
Sweet roses, violets, cherries and plums all came together in a Barolo that was
at once sensual and powerful. This was a magic, transcendental Rionda; an epic
wine for the ages!

Giacosa’s 1996 Barolo
Villero was incredibly shut down and tight, yet the intensity of color and
perfume suggested it was marvelously intact, but not in a mood to show its
pedigree. Luciano Sandrone’s 1996 Barolo
Cannubi Boschis was more open and accessible. Next to these more
traditional Barolos and Barbarescos the fruit and oak were a bit of shock to
the palate, but the wine was nevertheless beautiful for its delineation, detail
and sense of harmony.

The 1982 Cristal
is one my favorite wines from Roederer
and it was stunning on this evening. Sublime aromatics melded into a
magnificent, towering expression of fruit as this gorgeous wine opened up in
the glass. We finished with what turned out to be a relatively delicate,
forward bottle of the 1964 Dom Perignon
Oenothèque. Apricots and flowers informed a long, sublime close.